Twins at Hogwarts
by Race1
Summary: Twins go to Hogwarts. Draco and Harry. The twins and Draco and Harry. This should be fun.
1. TAH1

Chapter 1 Diagon Alley  
  
OUR LAST DAYS OF SUMMER, 1979-  
  
"Race woke up to her radio blaring the lyrics of "summer of '79." 'Ironic,' thought Race as she covered her head with her pillow, 'that the song about these guys last days of summer in the town they grew up, would be what woke me up on the day we are moving to England.'  
  
The music suddenly stopped and was replaced by an annoyed voice belonging to Race's identical twin sister's voice saying, "Honestly Race, why couldn't you have shut it off, for the three seconds it would have taken you."  
  
"Whoa, can you do that again? You sounded exactly like mom there for a minute Liz."  
  
"Maybe but it's true, you lazy bum."  
  
"Har Har," said Race attempting to throw her pillow at Liz. But the pillow just dropped as if it had hit an invisible wall. "Hey!" exclaimed race, noticing Liz holding a thin piece of wood in her left hand, "you know we aren't allowed to use magic outside of school! What were you thinking??? Do you really want to get us expelled???"  
  
Liz just sat there grinning, "first off we are transferring to Hogwarts remember? They won't count it against us, as we have to move. And second, I hear mom and dad talking before saying that we were allowed to use magic since we need to pack and move all of the heavy objects, they said the ministry doesn't expect us to move stuff the muggle way."  
  
It was Race's turn to grin, "So, err, I guess we should start moving these big, heavy, pillows right?" With that, Race reached for her own wand, and so began their pillow fight.  
  
"Girls are you ready?" called a voice from downstairs.  
  
"Yeah mom!" answered the two girls in unison. Race and Liz levitated their trunks and extra bags downstairs with a simple swish and flick. When they got downstairs their parents were ready by the fire. They shrunk their baggage and each grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder. One by one they threw it into the fire and shouted "92 Rington Way!" and disappeared into the emerald green flames.  
  
The house was very spacious, but even so, Liz and Race choose to share a room.  
  
"Hey Liz, guess what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We've got house elves here! Haha! That just got rid of our chores!"  
  
"Booya!"  
  
"Girls, come down here!"  
  
Race led the way downstairs wondering if they were already in trouble in their new house.  
  
"Come on, we need to go to Diagon Alley to get your school stuff. Liz you go first and then me then you Race."  
  
"Alright, see you in a minute." said Liz before shouting, "Diagon Alley!"  
  
"Oh dear! Race, I forgot the list! Be a dear and go run up and get it for me?"  
  
"Yeah mom." Said Race, turning around and starting for the stairs. She had just reached the first step when she heard her mother say "Diagon Alley!" Taking the stores two at a time Race reached her room and grabbed the list. She hurried back downstairs hoping her mother hadn't gone on with out her, as she had a knack for forgetting about her when it came to shopping.  
  
She got to the fire, grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder and repeated what her mother and sister had done before her. Instantly she started swirling, emerald green flames licking her body. She tucked in her arms and screwed up her eyes as she spun, trying to suppress the impending nausea.  
  
She was suddenly thrown from the fire and landed gracefully on her face. She heard laughing and looked up hoping to see her sister, but it seemed that the call of shopping was too strong for her mother to resist for two whole minutes. A very attractive boy offered her his hand as Race was starting to get up. The boy had blonde hair and gray eyes; he also had very strong looking arms and was a good four inches taller than her. She grabbed his warm strong hand and stood up brushing the dirt and soot off of her new clothes. She looked at him and saw that he was the source of the laughter, and grinned at him.  
  
"Thanks!" said Race still grinning. "My name is Race Landorn-um you haven't seen anyone that looks exactly like me have you?"  
  
"My name is Draco Malfoy, and no I haven't seen anyone that looks like you."  
  
"Crap. Well than." said Race trailing off. 'Great, just great!' thought Race, 'Now what am I supposed to do??? I have NO idea of how to get into Diagon Alley!' "Um, you don't know how to get into Diagon Alley do you?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Diagon Alley? Yeah I know how to get there, come on." Said Draco as he led her into a small alley outside the grubby pub. He took out his wand and tapped some random bricks and an archway appeared. "So what's your story?" He asked as they entered into the amazing looking shopping area.  
  
"What do you mean?" Asked Race not understanding.  
  
"Well, you look about 16 or so, just like me, but I've never seen you before. Are you a transfer?"  
  
"Oh yeah, yeah I am. I came from Salem Institute in America. My rents just decided to move here. Go figure."  
  
"Your rents?" Asked Draco with a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"Parents, sorry."  
  
"So are you 16? Are you going into your sixth year?"  
  
"Yea I'm going into my sixth year, as is my sister. She's my twin-identical except our eyes. Mine are misty gray obviously, but hers are green. Bright green." Said Race. And then in a lower voice more to herself than to Draco, "And I'd really like to find little Miss green-eyed Liz right now." And she started searching around for her lost sister and mother.  
  
"Well, I'll walk around with you. I need to pick up my school supplies too, and we can join your family if we find them."  
  
So the two walked around for about an hour without seeing anyone. They were, however, getting dirty looks from some of the customers. Race just shrugged it off as disgruntled shoppers. Once they had bought all of their school supplies Draco treated Race to an ice cream. They wandered around for another quarter hour licking their ice creams silently and looking into the windows of various shops.  
  
They started making their way back to the grubby pub (that Race learned was the Leaky Cauldron) with their stuff. Once inside and buy the fire Race turned to Draco and said, "thanks a bunch for showing me around Diagon Alley, the shopping place in America is much smaller, "the bare necessities," as my mother tends to quote from the Jungle Book."  
  
"Err, The Jungle Book?"  
  
"Err, yeah, it's just a muggle child movie. Before I went to Salem, my rents had me babysitting, so I'd know what muggles are like-didn't want me to be one of those "pure blood is best" freaks I guess."  
  
Race noticed that he went a bit rigid for a minute, as if he was offended, but she just waved it off. They had reached the pub and gone inside.  
  
"Thanks for taking the time to show me around. I would have been wandering around like a stray for a few hours had you not been there. So, yeah, thanks."  
  
"No problem," said Draco, "well, I guess I'll see you, and your twin, on the train tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, I'll keep an eye out for you."  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  
They were now in front of the fireplace, as Race was about to throw the pinch of Floo Powder into the flames, Draco stopped her arm and said with a smirk, "try to aim for a better landing when you get out, alright?"  
  
"Har Har," said Race sarcastically but with a genuine smile on her lips. "I'll keep that in mind." And with that she threw the blue powder in and was whisked away into the emerald green flames, landing gracefully on her two feet.  
  
----------  
  
Draco had just finished his lunch at the grubby little pub. 'Not really my kind of place,' he mused, 'but convenient non the less.' He was sitting waiting for the bill to arrive. He paid the man 12 sickles for his meal and was just heading for the door to do his school shopping when someone came out of the fireplace and fell to the ground with a "whoop!"  
  
This being a normal occurrence Draco normally wouldn't have thought much of it, but the sound she made was just funny to him for some reason and he started grinning and laughing; which was not something he normally did. But just something about her-whoever her was-made him happy.  
  
Still laughing he went over and bent down a hand to help her to her feet, she smiled at him and took his hand. Once she was up she started dusting herself off. Draco watched her do so. She wasn't your classic beauty, but she could definitely turn heads. She had about 5'5" on her, and had filled out in all the right places. Her hair wasn't quite curly but bounced in locks as she moved her head inspecting her clothes. Seeming satisfied with her appearance she looked up and gave Draco a warm smile. This was also another strange occurrence-having a girl smile at him. Not that he didn't have the looks- It was just his reputation, along with his family's reputation tended to scare people away. Draco noticed how the smile rose to and filled her eyes. Eyes that were gray like his, but light without the shadows that rolled across the back of his own.  
  
She was talking to him but, he didn't seem to hear her clearly, as if he didn't understand English at the moment. 'Gods!' Draco thought angrily to himself, 'all she did was smile at me and touch my hand. And now I must look like an incompetent slug to her!'  
  
They walked through Diagon Alley together, buying school supplies and getting to know each other. They past the ice cream shop and he bought them both a cone and they started walking back. He had already decided that he liked this girl, so he wanted to please her.  
  
Then she started talking about "pure blood freaks," and that stopped him. She wasn't berating him; but the truth was his family was a big bunch of "pure blood freaks," and worse he knew that he was one to some extent too. It had been drilled into him since before he could walk. It was something he was molded to be, and he had always excepted it, and now because of this girl he had only known for a little over and hour, he was having his doubts.  
  
He had only fully come back to his senses when she was reaching out to throw the Floo Powder into the flames. "Try to aim for a better landing when you get out, alright?" He said, trying to make her laugh.  
  
"Har Har, I'll keep that in mind." She smiled one last smile and was gone.  
  
After she was whisked away and the flames returned to their normal color, Draco muttered, "until tomorrow than." And he turned on his heal and left the shop. 


	2. TAH2

Chapter 2 The Sorting  
  
Race could be found sometime later up in her room with her trunk packed and her nose in her potion textbook. It had always been by far her easiest subject, and since she was going to a new school, she wanted to be prepared and maybe even have a head start.  
  
She had long since determined not to wait up for her mom and sister to show up. She wasn't mad at them, but she was annoyed that she had been forgotten. 'Oh well, it's not like it hasn't happened to Liz the same amount of times.'  
  
She had gone exploring before and had made friends with some of the house elves, but so far she had decided that the one Zimby was her favorite.  
  
She looked at her watch, which she never took off, and saw that it was 7 p.m. 'Wow, I wonder why I haven't been hungry yet. All I've had to eat so far today was that ice cream Draco bought me.' "Zimby!" she called.  
  
Zimby came hurrying into sight. "Yes miss! What is it that misses wants from Zimby?"  
  
"Hi Zimby, I was just wondering if you could get me some dinner. I'm a really bad cook, and I'm sure you're wonderful. So do you think you can get me something?"  
  
Zimby beamed at her saying that he was surely a wonderful cook. "Oh yes miss! Zimby will go get your food right away misses! Won't miss take a seat?"  
  
"Thank you Zimby."  
  
Race barely had to wait 10 minutes before Zimby came back with a warm plate of stake baked potatoes and broccoli with a large glass of lemon iced tea on the side. "Thanks Zimby! These are all my favorite!"  
  
"No problem miss, Zimby is happy to help and serve young miss. When miss is done, just leave your plate and I will come and take it away." He bowed to her and left.  
  
Race was done eating when her mother and sister showed up. "God guys, what took you so long?"  
  
"Well," said Race's mom crossly, "a certain someone never showed up with the list."  
  
"Excuse me?!" Exclaimed Race, "but you were the one that didn't wait the whole two minutes for me to show up, I had to get all of the school supplies on my own!"  
  
Her mother's face had been turning red with anger but now her features softened a bit. Race had stumped her so to speak, she wasn't accusing her of being a bad mother but her mother couldn't have argued with her being forgetful. "Don't worry about it mom," said Race, "it doesn't matter. I've already eaten, so I'm going to go back up to my room and make sure all of my stuff is packed." With that she turned and went back upstairs.  
  
Twenty minutes later Liz came up with a silly grin on her face.  
  
"What's with the dopey smile on your face Liz?"  
  
"Oh, nothing really. Just the person we found to help us shop."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"No one really," said Liz grinning and knowing her sister would push it.  
  
"Who? Who? Who?"  
  
"Well. If you are going to insist on knowing. HARRY POTTER!"  
  
"Ah! Are you serious?"  
  
"Yup, since we didn't have the supply list we asked the first person we saw for help, and it was him Race! Really Him!"  
  
"Wow. Please don't tell me you had that stupid smile on your face the whole time you were talking to him?"  
  
"Oh come on, you know me better than that Race! I simply flirted my arse off to get his attention."  
  
"And did it work?"  
  
"Yeah, I think it did, he was definitely flirting back at some points."  
  
"So what's the deal, are we going to sit by them tomorrow on the train?"  
  
"Yeah, he invited us to."  
  
"So you told him you had a twin?"  
  
"Yeah, of course! He was trying to help us find you along the way."  
  
"So, what took you guys so long?"  
  
"Oh well, we took him out to lunch before we went shopping and then mom being who she is wanted to check out EVERY STORE! But it was ok, because you know; I had Harry to talk to!"  
  
The two girls laughed for a few minutes until Liz asked, "So, how'd you do? It must have taken you forever to get all of your stuff, right?"  
  
"No, not really. I had help too."  
  
"Ooh! Spill!" Race told her about Draco and everything that they did. "So do you like him at all?"  
  
"I don't know, unlike you, I don't just jump into love. Ha-ha, I'd like to get to know him better, but."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"Well," said Race beginning to grin, "he does have potential!" The girls than collapsed on their beds in fits of laughter.  
  
They arrived at the train a half-hour before it was going to start rolling.  
  
"Sorry we had to come so early girls, but both your father and I need to leave like now for our new jobs. Have a good term!" She hugged and kissed them both and then disappeared through the barrier back to the muggle world.  
  
"Alright, guess we should get a seat then?"  
  
"Yeah, come on."  
  
The two girls finally got their trunks onto the train and found a compartment near the back of the train. Put their luggage onto the racks and then their pets, race had an owl and Liz had a cat, on the seats. They where pets to both girls but their mom wanted to be able to contact them so they had to get at least one owl.  
  
Once they had everything secure in their compartment they went back outside. "Look, Race, I'm going to go find a bathroom, do you want to come?"  
  
"No, that's ok; I'll just wait here for you."  
  
"Alright, I won't be but a minute." And she hurried off for the bathroom.  
  
A minute later someone approached Race and started talking to her. She knew who it was by his scar, it was Harry Potter, and he seemed to think that she was Liz.  
  
"Hey Liz! Wow, I've been calling you for like three minutes, you may want to get your hearing checked or something."  
  
"Oh, hi. I don't need my hearing checked though," she said through giggles, "I'm Race, Liz's sister."  
  
"Oh wow, I'm sorry. Hey, I'm Harry Potter."  
  
"No biggie, I'm Race Landorn. Liz went to use the restroom a minute or so ago, so she should be back any second. And here's a hint on how to tell us apart, I've got misty gray eyes while she's got bright green eyes."  
  
"Thanks that should come in handy."  
  
"Hey Harry! I see you've met Race, good. So do you want help getting your stuff on the train? We've got a compartment in the back."  
  
"Oh no, my friend Ron and I will find it when he shows up. But just some forewarning, he is probably going to be a bit moody. You see our friend Hermione moved to America this summer, her parents were afraid-you know, with everything that is going on. They figured they'd be safer. They kind of had a thing for each other so he's going to be kind of depressed."  
  
"Alright." Said Race, "but she'll have fun there, Salem Institute is a great school, with a HUGE library."  
  
"Oh then she'll love it. That's her thing, learning everything possible, memorizing textbooks, etcetera."  
  
"Yeah, she'll fit right in than."  
  
"Look, there's Ron. The tall kid with the red hair. Ron! Hey Ron!" Called Harry waving his arms in the air. The boy spotted them and came over. "Hey Ron, this," pointing to Liz, "is Liz and that is Race."  
  
"Hey, I'm Ron." He turned to look at the steam engine behind him; "we better get our stuff on Harry."  
  
"Good idea," stated Harry. And the four walked to the train.  
  
During the ride they talked about their families, America and England, and their schools. They were just digging into cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties when their compartment door slid open and in came the one person Race dreamed about last night. The tall, blonde muscular boy that sometime in her sleep, Race decided she was head over heels for.  
  
He looked around spotted Race, and with a small smile said, "Hey Race."  
  
"Hey Draco, what's up?"  
  
"Nothing really, just figured I'd find you and maybe talk a bit."  
  
"Well, than have a seat." Said Race, motioning to the seat across from her.  
  
"What are you doing here Malfoy?" said Harry.  
  
"Well that isn't your usual greeting Potter. It's usually 'Sod off Malfoy.' What's with the sudden change?"  
  
Race looked at Liz and said "tension" then made the hand motions and imitated the sound of ripping paper.  
  
Liz laughed at that and said, "I know! I wonder what their probs. are."  
  
Their conversation seemed to have gone unnoticed as Draco and Potter were still staring daggers at each other. "Sorry to have to break up this little love fest," said Race.  
  
"But why don't you two break eye contact and sit down. You don't even need to sit on the same sides. Draco-"  
  
"Wait, wait," interrupted Ron, "since when is he 'Draco' to anyone?"  
  
Ignoring his question Liz continued "Draco over there by Race and Harry back where you were."  
  
"It's no biggie really, there is more than enough room for everyone and if you are really that set against it, you two don't even have to look at each other."  
  
"So whatever the problem is, just cool it so we can have a nice ride, because I'm sure Race doesn't want Draco to leave anytime soon." Liz said with and evil glint in her eyes.  
  
"LIZ!!!" exclaimed Race, "SHUT UP!"  
  
"Well it's true!" said Liz through laughs.  
  
Race could feel the warmth creeping up her face, and she willed herself not to look at Draco. "God I'm gonna kill you one of these days Liz." Mumbled Race, still not looking up.  
  
At that Liz laughed and Race chanced a glance up at Draco. Surprisingly he had a shadow of a smile on his face and his eyes were looking gently at her. She too smiled slightly and sat back in her seat, looking around the small compartment, and was surprised to see everyone looking back at her. Harry and Ron had identical amazed looks on their faces.  
  
"W what?" asked Race nervously.  
  
"You fancy Malfoy?" asked Ron in an amazed and disgusted voice.  
  
Race merely turned bright red again and concentrated at the ceiling as if she'd never seen one before.  
  
Luckily Harry came to her rescue (though surely it wasn't his intent) by saying, "so Malfoy, where are your two body guards?"  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle you mean? Their parents sent them to Durmstrang."  
  
"And why are you still here, isn't your family into the Dark Arts?" asked Ron harshly.  
  
"Yes Weasley, they are, but I'm not. I don't even live with those so called parents if you must know. I live with my grandparents now. I haven't even talked to that man since last Christmas."  
  
"Ok, why don't we change the subject," said Race, "how about them Yankees?"  
  
"Yankees?" asked everyone but Liz.  
  
Sigh "Nevermind, how about Quidditch?"  
  
After that the journey to Hogwarts went pretty smoothly. There was still some hostility between the three boys but it was tolerable. And sooner than anyone would have suspected they were at Hogwarts and traveling through the double doors into the most splendid room Race had ever seen.  
  
Race suddenly stopped and grabbed Liz's arm. "What are we going to do? Are we going to go with the first years or are we going to sit at one of the tables and wait to be called?"  
  
No sooner had she said this than the answer became clear from the mouth of a tall elderly man with a long graybeard and gentle eyes. "Ah! Amy, Elizabeth, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I would ask that you kindly stand by the teacher's table and we will introduce you and call you up to be sorted when the first years are through. Please make your way into the dining area now and wait patiently." He said this and smiled down on the two girls and disappeared in the throng of students filing into the dining area.  
  
"Amy?" Said a voice behind Race. She didn't need to turn around to know whom that wonderful voice belonged to.  
  
"Yea," she said with a small laugh, "Amy is my real name, but no one really calls me that. My mother even calls me Race. She could of course call me Amy, but I don't let many other people."  
  
"Well, do you think I could?" he replied.  
  
Race could feel his warm breath on her neck, and his hands resting on her waist and she almost shivered at the thought of being that close to him. "I don't know," she started with a grin, "we'll see though." And with that she walked into the magnificent dining room and stood with her sister at the teacher's table.  
  
"Hey, what held you?" asked Liz once she was standing next to her.  
  
"Draco, literally!" she said knowing her cheeks were flushing.  
  
"Wow Race, here a day and already you've got a boy wrapped around your finger. I bow down to your greatness."  
  
The first year students started filing into the room, all looking nervous. And one by one the queue of students was diminished. A stern looking professor announced that there would be two new students transferring into the sixth year.  
  
"I hope we get into the same house!"  
  
"We are so alike, how could we not?"  
  
"Point."  
  
"Elizabeth Landorn."  
  
"Good luck," whispered Race.  
  
"Yeah you too."  
  
Liz walked up, sat on the stool, and placed the hat on her head. The hat hesitated but a second before yelling out "GRYFFINDOR!" She hopped off of the stool and walked to the table and sat next to Harry, who gave her a tremendous smile.  
  
"Amy Landorn."  
  
Race walked confidently to the stool and sat down. She put the hat on her head and waited. A voice suddenly spoke into her ear. "Hmm, that was just your sister; I expect you two would like to be together. You have so much smarts and loyalty though, you have a sense of justice and nobility but you also have the power and want to prove yourself. Oh, this will be a tough one won't it? Hmm. Well this house's characteristics seem to out weigh all the rest. So I'll have to say, GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Race let out a sigh of relief and hurried to sit with her sister, giving Draco a smile on the way over. He however looked as if someone had cancelled Christmas, she sent a questioning look his way when she saw his obvious disappointment, but didn't have time to think about it while she was being patted on the back by her fellow Gryffindors.  
  
The night passed by in a blur and Race didn't even notice the way to the common room or all of the people introducing them selves to her. She was tired and anxious to start school the next day. She didn't even notice how she and her sister were the only two people in their dorm (apparently, Hermione wasn't the only one to move to America over the summer.) once she had changed into her pajamas and said goodnight to her sister she laid down and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. 


	3. TAH3

Chapter 3: The Day from Hell (A/N: a.k.a. the chapter that NEVER ends.)  
  
Race woke up surprisingly early the next day. She looked out of her window onto the castle surroundings and again was amazed at the beauty that the castle and grounds held. From her window, she could see the lake towards the horizon, framed with a variety of trees. She watched the sun rise a little higher into the sky until she decided to get ready.  
  
She grabbed her towel and some grooming supplies before heading for the bathroom. She was back fifteen minutes later clean and pressed and unlike her sister, ready to start the day. Liz was still asleep when she arrived back to her dorm. When she glanced at her watch, she saw that they had thirty minutes to get down to breakfast, so she threw a pillow at her saying, "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty, and get ready for our first day of classes."  
  
"Must I?" she grumbled, voice thick with sleep.  
  
"Yes you must, and if you don't, I'll do what you did to me on the train yesterday and tell Mr. Potter how you are 'deeply in love with him.'"  
  
At this, her sister sat bolt upright. "You wouldn't!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Wanna bet? If you're late, the secret is out." Race teased.  
  
"Arg, you would!"  
  
"Right on. So I suggest you get ready, yeah?"  
  
"Yeah!" and she bolted out of the open door with her towel and shower objects.  
  
Race didn't know what books to bring, but she heard people talking about how after breakfast on the first day they would give you time to go run and get your books before heading to your first class. So instead of even bringing her book bag down, she just left it on her bed with all of her new books and quills and headed down to the common room.  
  
She had just sat down when her sister entered through the portrait hole, hair wet and in locks with her towel draped over her arm. She gave Race a mock glare when she saw Harry sitting close by her, before she went to put her stuff upstairs. She caught up with Race while she was heading for breakfast.  
  
"You didn't tell him right?" asked a frantic Liz  
  
"Tell who what?" asked Race, pretending not to understand the question.  
  
"Harry!" exclaimed an exasperated Liz, "You didn't tell him I like him right?"  
  
"Well."  
  
"Amy Lin Landorn! If you did-!"  
  
"Ok, ok, no I didn't tell him, and don't use my middle name like that, alright? Mom does it when she's about to kill me."  
  
"And I would've killed you too, had you said anything."  
  
"Oh, so it's alright for you to exclaim that I like Draco but I can't say anything about Harry?" Race wasn't mad but Liz shouldn't be threatening her, especially if she told Draco how Race felt about him the last night.  
  
"It's different with him though, because he likes you?"  
  
"Ok Miss Cleo, and how do you know this?" asked Race in a mix of sarcasm and surprise.  
  
"Uh, duh! When I said that you didn't want him to leave, you weren't the only one who went bright red. And last night when he was LITERALLY holding you."  
  
"Point." Said Race, grinning.  
  
"Point and game you mean."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, ok, ok, I acknowledge defeat."  
  
"Good." Said Liz obviously satisfied.  
  
By now the two girls were at the doors to the dining hall. "Hey, Liz?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How are we going to find all of our classes?"  
  
"I don't know; follow all of the other Gryffs around?"  
  
"Well that's ok for the classes that we have with them, what about our electives? I mean I'm taking advanced potions muggle studies so that should be all right, they are in the same room as regular but what about you? You're still taking that stupid subject Divination, is that going to be with Gryffs too?"  
  
"Probably. You know, to keep the houses together."  
  
"Yeah, you're probably right. I wonder what elective Draco choose?"  
  
"Probably whatever his head of house teaches. Most people are better in the subject that their head teaches."  
  
"Yeah. So then it's most likely potions right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Woohoo!!" she exclaimed with a grin.  
  
The two walked into the Great Hall and sat down besides the other Gryffindors whose names Race didn't' have a chance of remembering. Race took some eggs and a piece of toast she had started buttering, when Draco walked in. She smiled and waved to him, but he only gave her a halfhearted smile and wave back.  
  
"What's up with him?" Liz asked curiously.  
  
"I don't know, but he looked disappointed last night after I was sorted."  
  
"Oh, then he was probably hoping that you would get sorted into the same house as him."  
  
"Right." She agreed.  
  
Their timetables were passed down to them. "Cool, potions first."  
  
"Did you just say 'cool' and 'potions' in the same sentence?" asked Ron in disgust.  
  
"Yeah, why? It's my easiest subject. I even have advanced potions."  
  
"Then may whatever God you believe in have pity on your soul."  
  
Race looked at Harry. "What's he talking about?"  
  
"The potions master," answered Harry. "He positively hates Gryffindors."  
  
"Oh, well that's no good." Race stated, starting to worry about how she was going to do in her first and favorite class.  
  
"No it's not, and he completely favors the Slytherins. He takes points from us, and gives points to them. It isn't a happy class."  
  
The boys returned their attention to their breakfast, while Race pushed hers away. 'Well this is going to be a fun day. Two periods of potions, no doubt both with the Slytherins. And if what Ron and Harry are saying holds true, yes, a fun day indeed.'  
  
Race excused herself and went up to her dorm to get her books that she'd need for class and hurried back downstairs. Most people were just finishing breakfast when she got back so instead of waiting alone for them all to come back she found her way to the potions room, sat down on the floor by the door and cracked open her book.  
  
She was reading when the Slytherin house showed up. She only glanced up before returning to her book to read about the various potions.  
  
"Hey look, it's that new girl. Liz right? Why don't you look at me when I'm talking to you?"  
  
Race shut her book with a snap and stood up. She was easily three inches taller than the girl was. "First of all," she snapped, "I'm not Liz. To you, my name is Race, got it? And second, don't expect me to give a git like you the time of day when you talk to me like that."  
  
The girl looked stunned that she had just been told off.  
  
"Point and game Race." Her sister interjected, grinning.  
  
"Thank you Liz m'dear. By the way," she said turning to the girl who still had the stunned look on her face, "that is Liz." She pointed behind her with her thumb.  
  
"Great, two of you. When will the ugliness stop?"  
  
"I'm wounded!" Said Race, covering her heart dramatically  
  
"What's going on here?" Their potion's master had just arrived. He was a tall, greasy haired man, who looked like he had just gotten a whiff of something rather foul smelling.  
  
"She hit me!" exclaimed the girl.  
  
"Shut your face Pansy, you know that's a lie." Draco had just stepped forward in front of the teacher and in between the two girls. "Professor, she's just mad because Race here," he said indicating towards Race, "just told her off."  
  
Pansy made a sound of indignation.  
  
"Race?" said the professor thoughtfully, "we don't have a 'Race.' We have an Elizabeth and an Amy, but not a Race."  
  
"Sir, it's my nickname. I introduce myself as Race because I usually don't respond to Amy. Sir." Said race being very upfront about talking to her teacher.  
  
"I see. Well, 'Race,'" he started, his lip curling, "five points from Gryffindor for starting fights. I will not tolerate that kind of action happening in my class."  
  
"But I didn't start it!" exclaimed Race at the unjust treatment from this Professor.  
  
"Another five points for arguing with me. Now all of you get in, take a seat, and start copying the recipe from the board.  
  
Race had opened her mouth to argue some more but her sister elbowed her in the back, "cool it," she whispered so the professor wouldn't hear. "Harry and Ron were right. Don't worry, we all know what happened, so don't sweat it. Ok?"  
  
"Yeah alright," muttered Race. As she took her seat she decided that she was going to do everything perfect so that Snape wouldn't be able to take more points off of her.  
  
"I'm not even going to go over the potion. I want to see what you remember and what you don't. I'm sure there will be many of you," he looked at Race, "who don't succeed in making this, or any other potion properly, but I shall give you a chance none the less. Start."  
  
As Race went to her cauldron and started taking out and preparing ingredients, Snape walked around the class already criticizing students for the 'poor work' they were doing. When he walked around to Race, she pretended that he wasn't there.  
  
"I've only agreed to teach you advanced potions because you received an outstanding on your O.W.L's, but believe me, I can transfer you out at any second. So I hope your previous teacher wasn't exaggerating in the least when she told me how great you are." And then, he walked away. Race just stared after him for a moment before pushing him out of her mind and returning to her work.  
  
Soon the class was almost up and the Professor's voice rang through the class. "You should all be finished by now. I want you to take your potions off of the heat while I come around and check them." Race did as she was told carefully, but not idly and she waited for him to come around and check hers.  
  
When he arrived at her cauldron, she watched his face which looked surprised. He almost seemed disappointed that he couldn't find anything wrong with her potion. He didn't say anything before walking off to the next cauldron.  
  
Race couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief as she packed up her bag five minutes later. It really was a bad start to the day, and she wasn't exactly looking forward to advanced potions later on. She knew that she was good at it, and she knew that by tuning out all of the noises and talking, she could even relax while making a potion. It would be hard to ignore that vulture breathing down her neck, though, which would be the only thing that could distract her from her potion.  
  
The bell rang and she headed for the door, anxious to get out of the smelly dungeon room and to her next class which was Herbology. Race didn't even wait up for her sister. She was so anxious to get away from Snape that she ran headlong into none other than Draco Malfoy.  
  
"In a hurry?" asked Draco.  
  
"Sorry," apologized Race, "I just want to get away from here for as long as I can until Advanced Potions."  
  
"You're taking Advanced Potions? Me too. And don't worry about Pansy, she barely passed her potions O.W.L last year, so she won't be in that class. Actually, now that I think about it, there is only one other person in the class. Just some random Hufflepuff. So don't sweat it. Snape really isn't such a bad guy."  
  
"Really? Are you sure about that one?"  
  
"Ok, so he can be a git, but I'm sure when there are less Slytherins around he'll be much fairer."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"Hey, and if all else fails, I'll be there!"  
  
"Oh geeze, don't flatter yourself." She teased.  
  
"I think you said it best before, 'I'm wounded!'" Draco mocked.  
  
"Oh, no you're not." She said folding her arms and smirking  
  
"How can you be so sure?" He asked slyly, a smile forming at the corner of his lips.  
  
"Because I'm head over heals for you." She grinned at the stunned look on his face and turned and started for the green houses.  
  
She arrived at the houses after most of the Gryffindors. "Hey," said her sister, "what kept you? I mean you left before me, but I got here first."  
  
"I was talking to Draco."  
  
"What about?" Liz pried like only a good friend, and in this case sister could.  
  
"Well, he was telling me not to worry about Snape and how the advanced class would be better, and if all else failed, he'd be there. So I go, 'don't flatter yourself', and he quoted me by saying 'I'm wounded', so I say 'oh no your not.' He's like, 'how would you know', and then right? I go, 'because I'm head over heals for you!' Ha-ha! I just took one look at his stunned face and left. That really brightens your mood, telling a guy you like him. You should try it sometime." Just as she said that Harry walked in, "how about now?" Race suggested with a grin.  
  
"Oh no! Not gonna happen, don't even think about it."  
  
"Worth a shock," mumbled Race.  
  
"Settle down class, settle down. Today we are going into Green House two. Nothing special really, just fertilizing the plants. Easy first class, so let's go, get on your gloves and grab a bag of my favorite dragon manure and pair up, two to a table. And get to work."  
  
"Race come on, work with me."  
  
"Yeah," said a distracted Race.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't know where I put my gloves." She said, searching frantically through her bag. Fertilizing plants with her bare hands wasn't her idea of a good time.  
  
"Oh, well dump out your bag and look."  
  
"Yeah," said Race while tipping out the contents of her bag. "No, I don't believe it! I forgot them in our dorm! Do you think Professor Sprout will let me run and get them?"  
  
"I don't know, but it's totally worth asking."  
  
"Yeah it is." Race said with hope as she walked towards the professor. "Err, Professor, I um, forgot my gloves in my dorm. Do you think maybe I could go run and get them?"  
  
The teacher gave the girl a reproving look. "Miss Landorn, I expect you to be prepared for my class."  
  
"I know Professor," said Race by means of apology, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. So can I go get them?"  
  
"Hurry up. If your plants aren't done by the end of class you will come after your final class today to finish them."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Said Race before hurrying off towards the castle.  
  
Once in the Entrance Hall, Race sped up her step. She took the stairs two at a time and then quickened her step even more, until she had reached the top. As she was hurrying along she ran headlong into another person, her potions teacher!  
  
"Sorry Professor," Race mumbled. 'This is not a good day!' she thought.  
  
"Miss Landorn, please watch where you are going." Snape snapped in an impatient tone.  
  
"Yes Sir. I'm just in a hurry."  
  
"What could be so important that you don't even care to watch where you were going?"  
  
"You see, I'm in Herbology and we are fertilizing plants, and Professor Sprout's favorite manure is dragon, and I forgot my gloves! So now I need to hurry to get them. Because if I don't fertilize all of them before the end of class I need to go right after my last class until they are all done!"  
  
"Miss Landorn, I believe I'm losing brain cells listening to your play by play account as to why you nearly plowed over me."  
  
"Sorry Sir, but you asked."  
  
"Whatever, Landorn," replied the professor in a weary voice, "go, just- go."  
  
"Yes Sir." Said Race, before she continued to run towards the Gryffindor common room. She got there, ran up to her dorm, again taking the steps two at a time, grabbed her Dragon-hide gloves from her bed and hurried back down double time to the greenhouses. This time, not knocking into random teachers.  
  
"Ah, I see you're back Miss Landorn. Please hurry up and finish your plants with your sister. We have twenty minutes left in class and you two can easily finish and do a neat job at the same time. Come on, hurry up."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Said Race, before returning to help her sister.  
  
"Not having a good day are you?"  
  
"Now, that's not true." Race said with mock surprise at the accusation. "I'm having a horrible day!"  
  
Liz laughed and then returned to her work. Fifteen minutes later Professor Sprout came around to make sure all of the students did a good job on their plants. "Good job girls," she said after inspecting Race and Liz's plants. "You get an A for the day."  
  
"Thank you professor." Said the girls in unison.  
  
"Oh, Amy dear, please stay after class for a moment."  
  
But Race wasn't listening. She wasn't used to responding to Amy, so she didn't hear the request.  
  
On the way out Liz said, "I'll wait for you outside alright?"  
  
"What do you mean 'wait for me?'?" Race inquired.  
  
"Well the professor told 'Amy' to wait after class."  
  
"Oh, alright, but you can go onto lunch, just save me a seat alright?"  
  
"If you say so," said her sister who turned around and walked off.  
  
Race watched her sister go before approaching the professor's desk. "Yes ma'am?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, Amy-" she began,  
  
"Please, call me Race ma'am. I don't really respond to Amy, it'd just be easier if you did."  
  
"Alright, Race. I'm not sure what you have learned in your past years, so I would like you to take this assignment and complete it tonight. I gave one to your sister as well. I wish that you complete it from memory, to see what you know. There are many advanced things on there, some that I don't expect you to know, but I'd like you to try without help of any kind none the less. Alright?"  
  
"Yes ma'am. I'll do that."  
  
"Alright, now hurry along so you aren't late for lunch."  
  
"Yes ma'am. Thank you. Goodbye." Race then hurried to catch up with her sister.  
  
"So this should be the best period of the day right?"  
  
"Well from the way your day is going, I'm going to have to go with sleep is going to be the best period of the day. Nothing-with the exception of a nightmare-can go wrong there."  
  
"You got that right."  
  
Race grabbed a chicken sandwich and started chewing politely while taking out her potion book.  
  
"I can't believe you are still going to take time to read that after you met that vulture."  
  
Race shrugged. "I don't know. It's still my easiest subject. That man won't ruin it for me."  
  
"Frankly, I don't understand how you tolerate him."  
  
"There is really nothing to it. I just tune him out." Race stated, shrugging.  
  
"How can you possibly tune that man out?" asked Harry who was just joining the conversation.  
  
"Easy," said Race, "I just pretend he isn't there." She now returned her attention to Liz, "Remember Professor Thomas at Salem? He was even worse than Snape. Really," said Race now looking at Harry, "Snape is like an angel compared to our old teacher."  
  
"Then I'm happy I've never met him." Said Harry through a mouthful of chicken.  
  
"Let's see," said Race taking out her timetable. "We've got transfiguration next and then History of Magic and then dinner then, arg," she groaned, "then I've got Advanced Potions with Snape."  
  
"Professor Thomas looking a bit good right now isn't he?" taunted Liz.  
  
"It's a toss up really, they both suck." Everyone laughed then returned to his or her food or talking to his or her other friends about their morning classes.  
  
"That language isn't very lady like, now is it?" Hissed a voice in her ear.  
  
Race jumped at the voice. For a second, she thought that it was Professor Snape and that he had heard her. Coming back to her senses Race heard the voice laugh, and she relaxed. It was just Draco.  
  
She turned around and smiled. "Hi Draco. How ya doing?"  
  
"I'm fine. You wouldn't believe what happened today though." He said.  
  
"What happened?" asked Race.  
  
"Well you see, this girl ran into me, literally and told me that she basically liked me."  
  
Race, not catching on, was shocked at this. 'Who was it?' she thought. 'And why is he telling me this after I told him this morning that I liked him?' "Who was it," she asked quite seriously, still not catching on.  
  
He looked pointedly at her for a second before smirking and saying, "think about it." And then he walked away.  
  
Race turned to her sister who was looking at her laughing. "What?" she asked bewildered.  
  
"My Gods if you were any slower you'd be going backwards! He was talking about YOU, you dork!"  
  
"What?"  
  
But her sister just kept laughing at her.  
  
Then realization hit Race, and hard. "OH MY GOD!" shouted Race.  
  
At this her sister fell off her chair laughing so hard. Race however turned bright red and slammed her head on the table.  
  
Her sister was still laughing as they made their way to Transfiguration twenty minutes later. "Alright!" exclaimed Race. She was getting a little bit irritated by her sisters' endless laughter. "I get the point; I'm pretty dumb some times."  
  
Her sister, however, continued laughing until Professor McGonagall entered the room and immediately started handing out books and teaching them the spell to transfigure its appearance.  
  
The class went by pretty smoothly without many incidents. "So," asked Liz while they were leaving class, "Is this your favorite class of the day?"  
  
"Yeah, nothing went wrong. Now we have basically a nap time period and then I return to he-"  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
Race and Liz turned around looking for the voice, "Oh hey Harry, Ron."  
  
"What's up guys?"  
  
"Nothing really. How's your day going so far, Race?" Asked Harry.  
  
"Don't ask."  
  
Well tell me about it later ok?"  
  
"A-alright." Replied Race in a hesitant voice.  
  
"Come on Ron, I forgot my history book in the common room. Come with me to get it real quick?"  
  
"Yeah ok."  
  
The two boys hurried off as to not be late for class. Race turned to her sister and asked, "What was that all about?"  
  
Her sister wasn't there though, instead she was a few steps ahead of her and even from the back, and Race could see the flush creeping up into her cheeks.  
  
"Hey Liz!" she called trying to catch up.  
  
"Don't even, Amy."  
  
That stopped Race. 'What's going on?' She pondered to herself. She was still trying to figure out the whole situation when she sat down in her next class. She took decent notes without really paying attention to the teacher. The whole thing was really disturbing Race. And it didn't help that Harry kept looking at her, trying to catch her eye, and Liz was glaring at her every time she saw Harry doing this.  
  
Race was extremely thankful for the end of this class. She was going to try talking to Liz again, but the girl was already out of the class and down the corridor when Race was finished packing her bag.  
  
"Hey Race," said Harry.  
  
'Good Lord does this boy ever go away?' "Heya Harry," said Race cheerfully. "I can't really talk, I've got to get to Snape's class or I'm going to be, like, dead by dinner. So I'll talk to you then alright?"  
  
He looked a little disappointed that she couldn't chat but said in a fake happy voice, "Alright. I'll save you a seat at dinner then?"  
  
"Yeah sure," replied Race just trying to get rid of him now. "I'll see you then." And she was off. Partly to put as much distance in between him and her, and also because she really didn't want Snape to give her a detention for being late. Because she was pretty sure that the excuse of 'Oh sorry Professor, Harry Potter was just flirting with me in the hall. So of course you can understand why I'm late.' Wouldn't go over too well with him.  
  
Race arrived in class before everyone else, even the teacher. She put her bag down in the same seat that she had sat in at the beginning of the day. She sat down in the seat which was situated at the front of the class and waited for the others to show up.  
  
She heard movement behind her and turned around. She recognized the boy from her Herbology class, but she didn't know his name. She gave the boy a small smile and said, "Hey, I'm Race."  
  
The boy returned the smile, "I'm Ernie." He said in a small voice.  
  
The boy looked nervous to be in the room. 'Must be because of Snape,' she mused.  
  
There was a minute of silence and then in walked Draco. "Figure it out yet?" he asked with a smirk as he went to sit down next to her.  
  
"Yes," she said starting to laugh again. "I had had a very long day already when you last talked to me."  
  
"It was only lunch time!" he said.  
  
"Point?" she said, "you saw me after the first class, and I was pretty much a wreck, even then."  
  
"Yeah maybe, not that I minded however." He said with a knowing grin on his face.  
  
At this Race turned red.  
  
"Head over heels huh?"  
  
Race turned even redder but was saved from answering by Professor Snape coming in and closing the door with a snap. "Thank Gods," mumble Race.  
  
"I'll talk to you after class alright?" Draco whispered.  
  
"Do I have a choice?" she asked.  
  
"Not really," he stated with a grin.  
  
"You three," interrupted Snape's voice, "are the only three to have received an Outstanding on your O.W.L's. You should be proud of yourselves. But I must warn you that I will not tolerate nonsense and failure in this class. This class is elite and if I find that you are not up to code I will remove you without any remorse. Now," he turned to the board and started writing down ingredients and a recipe. "Who can tell me what this potion is?"  
  
Race read the board: Powdered root of asphodel Black beetle eyes Shredded boomslang skin Ginger roots Leech juice Armadillo bile  
  
"Anyone?" asked the professor.  
  
Race reread the board before raising her hand.  
  
"Yes, Race?" he asked.  
  
"That is the Knowledge Potion; it is used to extract knowledge from a person. Kind of like a truth potion, but you don't need to ask questions, you just state the topic that you want the person's knowledge of. Unspeakables use this when dealing with break-ins, dealing with their mysteries and...Yeah." Race trailed off into silence. Everyone was watching her. "What?" she asked looking around the room.  
  
"Well, I really didn't expect anyone to know that," said Professor Snape in amazement. "The book that that potion is in is very advanced, always in the restricted section."  
  
"Oh, well." Said Race not really wanting to explain how she knew it. 'It's only in next year's text book,' she thought to herself. "I just read ahead in the text over the summer."  
  
"We got our books the day before school started Race." Said Draco, "How fast could you possibly have read it?"  
  
"Well actually," started Race, "it's in next year's book, I read them both. Because I knew nearly everything for this class so I just decided to move on to next year's material."  
  
"Oh, well, than I guess five points to Gryffindor." Said the professor, as if not daring to believe that he had actually GIVEN points to someone that wasn't in his own house. "Alright, now that we know that," said the professor returning to his senses. "And we know what it does; I would like you all to create it. At the end of class today we shall be testing them. Now begin."  
  
Race didn't pay attention to how much time was passing in class, or even the positive comments she was receiving from the teacher. Everything was going well until Ernie asked the teacher a question.  
  
"Sir, can you tell me if the heat is right?"  
  
The professor strode over to the boy and looked down on him, "This is an advanced class, Ernie. You should be able to tell the difference between high heat and low heat." As the professor advanced on the boy, the boy himself moved backwards towards the cauldron."  
  
"I-I'm sorry S-Sir, I j-just thought that maybe you would help m-me," he stuttered while still backing up until he hit his cauldron.  
  
"Of course you would. I never understood how you ever possibly got an Outstanding on your exam last year."  
  
Ernie didn't even seem to notice that he had hit his cauldron and there was no more room for him to back up to, he stumbled and tipped his cauldron away from him. As the contents spilled onto the floor, Race stood up on her stool, and Draco followed suit.  
  
The two looked at each other and grinned. True, Race felt badly for Ernie, but she got this vibe from him and just found him to be annoying. Snape was berating Ernie and giving him detentions, and ousting him from the advanced potions class.  
  
The professor spun around and snapped, "Take a flask and fill it with your potion, cork it and place it on my desk and then get out of my sight." At the sound of movement behind him he hissed, "Not you Ernie, you are to stay and clean up this mess."  
  
Race and Draco did exactly as their teacher told them to, and hurried out of class without looking back.  
  
Once in the Great Hall, Race looked at her watch, "Whoa, Draco look, we've still got twenty minutes until dinner. What do you want to do?"  
  
"I don't know. Do you want to go for a walk around the lake?"  
  
"Sure." Said Race. And they walked out the through the double doors and started across the lawn.  
  
Draco was elated that the girl had said yes to the walk with him, as he wasn't used to anyone being attracted to him because of his name. He was also scared that once she found out what his name meant, and what hanging out with him meant, that she wouldn't want anything to do with him.  
  
"I've got to be honest with you," he started.  
  
"There really was another girl who told you today that she likes you?"  
  
He forced a small laugh before continuing, "No, that was only you," he said quite truthfully. "You see, there are a lot of people who don't like me- because of my family. We aren't really the, err, nicest people around. I'm pretty bad myself, as you will probably see in the coming months," he added in a small voice.  
  
"But you see I don't really want to be that way. I've just been taught to be that way. My family is a big bunch of pure blood freaks, my father tortures muggles. And I agree with him, not the way that he does it," he added quickly as he watched the girl's eyes grow wide, "but I agree with it. I think we should wipe out muggle influence in the wearing world, I think its crap, and not much could possibly change my mind."  
  
Draco watched the girl wrap her arms around herself. He was waiting for some kind of response, but he didn't get one at first. She just kept walking with her hair fanning out behind her.  
  
She stopped suddenly and turned to him. "To tell you the truth," she said slowly, "that wasn't the revelation I was expecting. I said I like you before I knew this detail about your life."  
  
At this Draco groaned inside, 'I knew I shouldn't have told her!'  
  
But Race continued to speak, "I really believe that, deep down you are a good person. And I like you still. So I guess I'll have to deal with it." She paused for a second and he thought she was finished and he almost said something when she continued. "I'll have to put up with it then, right? I mean, I'm hoping you like me too." she trailed off, inviting him to answer the unasked question.  
  
"Yes, I do." He stated easily.  
  
"Then," she said, "We are in this together. Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah." He wanted to kiss her; he wasted to jump and scream with joy; he wanted to do anything to show the world-or at least this girl, how thankful he was that this girl was actually giving him a chance. He settled for giving her a hug. And was pleased to see the flush and grin that crept up onto her face.  
  
They walked around part of the lake and then started heading back to the Great Hall for dinner. They walked in together and received a mix of surprised and disgusted looks from the students who saw them.  
  
"And the rumors begin." Said Draco, with a nervous look at the girl next to him, whose hand he was holding, "You can still back out now, you know."  
  
She gave Draco's hand a small squeeze. "We're in this together remember? I'm not giving you up. Sorry buddy, but you are stuck with me."  
  
Draco squeezed her hand back and said, "Not a chance."  
  
They smiled at each other and each went to their separate ways to their own tables.  
  
"What's with the Gryff chick?" asked one and only true friend in the school, Blaise Zabini.  
  
Draco couldn't help but grin. "I'm not sure, but I'm hoping for more."  
  
Blaise looked at his friend and gave him a small, "Let's just hope your father doesn't find out about this."  
  
"That man," said Draco, his voice dripping with disgust, "can't do anything. He wouldn't even care as I'm already as well as disowned by him. And if for some reason he does have a problem with it, who cares?"  
  
Race sat down next to Harry, who as he had said, had saved a seat for her. "What's going on with Malfoy?" asked Harry.  
  
"Um, nothing really, yet, we just kind of have a thing for each other. That's all."  
  
"Oh," said Harry, with that disappointed look back on his face.  
  
"Where's my sister?"  
  
"She was here for a minute, grabbed something to eat and then she left. She seemed kind of upset."  
  
"Great." Said Race, already becoming depressed again. "I'm going to go and find her. See you later Harry."  
  
"Alright, I'll talk to you back in the common room, alright?"  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Said Harry as Race stood up and hurried to the common room.  
  
Five minutes later Race found her sister close to tears in front of the common room fire. "Hey Liz," said Race in a small voice.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Um, what's up?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Come on, Liz, tell me what's up."  
  
"It's Harry, he doesn't like me."  
  
"Says who?"  
  
"Oh come on Amy! Don't be so dense! It's so obvious that he likes you!"  
  
"No he doesn't, he's just trying to be a good friend to someone who is new."  
  
"A good friend? Ok well if you are going to take that approach, then he should be acting like a 'good friend' to me too right?"  
  
Her sister's voice kept raising as people started filling into the common room.  
  
"Liz, chill out."  
  
"DON'T tell me to chill out Amy! You don't get it! You have Malfoy all over you and now you are trying to get Harry too! I think that's crap! Stop playing two boys and pick one!" At the end of her speech she was yelling.  
  
"Liz," said Race calmly. Her anger was rising, but she didn't want to add to the situation. "I don't like Harry alright? Can you understand that? I- Don't-Like-Harry! And you of all people should know that! I like Draco, and I haven't flirted even a little bit with him!"  
  
"Oh come on Amy, that's crap! You do like him! You do everything he wants, how can you possibly say that you don't flirt with him???"  
  
"Liz! Get over it! I don't like him! Accept it!"  
  
"Don't lie to me Amy Lin. I know you do!"  
  
"I don't know what you are on about, but get it into your head! I don't like him! You are acting like such a git!"  
  
"Fine, if I'm acting like a 'git' then I'll just leave, alright?"  
  
"Fine!" Race called at her sister's retreating back.  
  
Race waited until she heard the distant slam of the dormitory door before she chanced a look at all of the bystanders. She saw Harry's face laden with disappointment, but she didn't really care. 'It's his fault that all of this happened!' she thought angrily to herself.  
  
Not wanting to face anyone she left the room and headed towards the library. She still had two hours until curfew. 'I'll just do my Herbology paper and then I'll go back. By then she should be asleep.' She thought.  
  
An hour and a half-later Race headed back to the common room. Most everybody was in their dorms by this time, and even though Race couldn't tell whether or not her sister was sleeping, but she was silent enough for Race not to ask otherwise. 


	4. TAH4

Chapter 3  
  
The next few days went by at a snails pace for Race. Liz was still mad at her and Harry was still hitting on her. The only relief she could find were the quiet moments where Draco and herself could be found sitting alone together in a soft silence, studying or just lost in their own minds contemplating life and separating what should matter in the world from what could only be seen as pointless hatred.  
And they were seen. By two very jealous people through not together in location, as the days went on, they were together in thought. And very angry thoughts they were.  
"I'm so tired of this!" exclaimed Race.  
""So tired of what?" asked Draco, covering his surprise quickly.  
"I'm so tired of Liz being mad at me. I mean, really, I don't like Harry, obviously," she said looking pointedly at Draco, "Can't she see that?  
Draco sighed at Race's frustration. "I don't know what to tell you. I always thought Potter was slightly mad... Maybe it's just rubbed off on your sister?" He said the last part with sarcasm."  
"Har har, very funny. But you aren't helping!" Said Race as she playfully slapped he left arm.  
"Ok ok I'm sorry," he chuckled and rubbed his arm. "Maybe you should do something to convince them both that you don't like scar-hear."  
"Like what? And you should really give up on your animosity where he is concerned; he isn't so bad, even if he is kind of... obsessive."  
"Oh, but it's so much fun. And hey!" said Draco with a sudden enthusiasm, "I do have an idea! You could run up to him and make him thing you want him –if you know what I mean- and then you cal slap him when he tries anything."  
"Yeah, I could do that?"  
"Really?" said Draco with surprise, "You'll really do it?"  
"No!"  
"Oh" said Draco looking disappointed.  
"-Sigh- you are really no help at all."  
"Look, I'm sorry. I don't know how to deal with girls obsessing with me. They just want to get laid and go away. A good time all around." He said with a smirk.  
"I don't want to just "lay" you."  
"I didn't say you did."  
"Well then, how are you going to deal with me?"  
"Buy you dinner first?" said Draco with a suggestive wink.  
"Right... ok... but once again we have strayed from the issue at hand. What am I going to do about Harry?"  
"What if you just talk to him? That's what you Gryffindorks do right? Instead of fighting you talk things out... or something like that."  
"Yeah, we do talk. What' the point of fighting when you can hurt them more with words?"  
Draco looked shocked at that comment, "quite the Slytherin of you, don't you think?"  
"Hey now, just because I wanted to be with my sister doesn't mean the hat wasn't about to put me somewhere else. I may be in Gryffindor, but I'm not exactly goody-goody-material you know."  
"Define 'goody-goody' for me would you?"  
"Nevermind. But the point is that I'm not all good and cute and sweet like that."  
"Never let it be said!" said Draco as if not quite believing her, "Except for the cute part." He added as an after thought.  
Race continues as if she hadn't heard him. "So, ok, I'll go talk to him, tell him it's pointless to pine after me and introduce him to my darling sister's love for him."  
"Good idea. You go to that. Have your sister mad at you for telling him."  
"Whatever, it will do more good than harm. She's already mad at me if you remember." Race pointed out.  
"Little to lose and all to gain. Maybe you should try on the sorting hat again."  
"Har har. But I'm going to go and get this over with. I'll talk to you later?"  
"Yeah, get out of here." He said good naturedly with a smile. And that was exactly what she did."  
--  
  
Race found him sitting in the library alone. He was reading a book about quidditch. Well reading was an overstatement. He was really just staring at the page looking slightly lost.  
"Hey Harry." She said, snapping him out of his trance.  
"Hey," he said, his face instantly brightening at her presence alone.  
"Um, can we talk?" said Race, slightly unsettled at the so obvious effect she had on him.  
"Yes of course," He said while gathering his books.  
They walked together down the hall, Race with her arms folded and Harry glancing at her every so often.  
"So," said Harry, breaking the silence. "What did you want to talk about?"  
'No use procrastinating then' thought Race. "You like me right?" 'There it's out."  
Harry hesitated for a moment and did not meet her eyes when he responded with, "well...no."  
Race could have laugher out loud, but held it back, "no?" she inquired.  
"No," said Harry again, this time meeting her eyes. "I was actually just trying to get Liz to notice me."  
Race did laugh out laud this time while Harry just sat stunned with that lost look on his face again. When she could finally control herself Race said, "Well, you have her attention, so would you kindly go after her- she's driving me nuts!"  
"Yeah... But, she really likes me? Like really really, and not just 'oh- famous-Harry-Potter-I-must-have-him-now' kind of likes me?" He said smiling sheepishly as if not quite believing it.  
"Yes! Now get out of here before I decide to get mad at you instead of helping you out!"  
"Alright, alright." He said with a grin, and he started to leave but turned around at the door. "Good luck with Malloy," he began, "I don't understand it, but as long as you are happy. And if he gives you and problems, I wouldn't mine an excuse to be able to punch him."  
Race just laughed and yelled, "Get out of here! Go fine Liz!!"  
With that Harry smiled and walked away.  
  
--  
  
"So," began Draco once Race had caught up to him ten minutes later, "how's lover boy?"  
Race sat down next to him and said, "He was 'using me,' in so many words, to get Liz."  
Draco was stunned but quickly recovered, "You're kidding...the hero of the wizarding world is a manipulative bastard? Who'd have though?" And he laughed and laughed.  
He was still laughing three minutes later when Race got her courage together long enough to ask the question that had been bothering her since their walk together after that potions mishap. "Draco, what is your father going to say about this? About us?"  
All the merriment fell away from his face and he was left with only a serious look in his eyes. "I honestly don't know. That man is so unpredictable sometimes. I don't see why he wouldn't like you: you are a pureblood, you are attractive, your only flaw is that Gryffindor spirit of yours-but even then, you have this cunning that could top many seventh year Slytherins easily. I don't see what he'd have against you that could possible cause a problem."  
"What about the fact that I would never join his side? That I'd never agree to the idea that just because muggles don't have magic and we do that we have the right to take away their lives at a whim?"  
"I know he won't agree with you on that, not now, not ever. But I'm almost certain that he will still try to get you on his side. You have a powerful aura about you Race, he isn't going to try to piss you off or scare you away as long as he still believes there is a chance that you could possibly change sides-that he could convince you his side is the right side in this war."  
Race was silent as she thought it over.  
  
She wasn't the only silent one. In the dungeons of the castle, someone else was silent as she wrote a letter.  
  
Mr. Malfoy,  
I have become aware that you son may not be a part of the cause anymore. He has been spending all of his time with a certain female Gryffindor.  
I would hate for Draco to make a decision that would ultimately ruin his life. But of course, he will not listen to me.  
I write this because I care for only what is best for Draco. And I know you feel the same.  
  
-P.Parkinson 


End file.
